Eight important life skills to teach children

There's a lot more for children to learn growing up than just their times tables – we've rounded up eight of the essential life skills and lessons Mumsnetters are imparting to their offspring. To encourage kids to learn, be active and develop these important life skills, Premier League Primary Stars are offering one lucky Mumsnetter a voucher worth £300 – read on to find out how to enter

Share

A strong sense of self-esteem

We all need to believe in ourselves. In an opinion-filled society full of constant comparison, it’s important to encourage children to positively focus on their own skills and abilities which will give them a can-do attitude and instill a sense of pride.

Surviving without constant stimulation

“Kids need to learn how to be bored. It’s a really useful lesson for all those hours waiting for planes/trains/doctors/hairdressers. Phones can't always be relied on to keep us entertained.”

The importance of right and wrong

Learning how your behaviour and actions impact others is an important theme for children. Helping educate them on the meaning of equality and inclusion, whilst teaching them what discrimination is and how it feels to be left out, will help them form views on fairness.

How to rustle up something delicious

“Cooking is absolutely the most useful life skill – you only need to know the basics and can improvise and experiment from there. If you can prepare quick, economical, healthy meals you can feed yourself and your family well on little money, should you ever need to.”

Working well as part of a team

Teamwork is all about compromise, listening and working effectively with others – an important life skill that encourages the development of friendships and will give children an understanding of group behaviours which they can carry into their adult years.

A sense of ambition and drive

“Goal setting is an invaluable skill to develop from a young age. Let's say your child complains that she cannot ride her bike without stabilisers. Teach her to set a goal – riding without them. The next step is setting a deadline – say a week. And next comes the how-to, the plan how to get there – by practicing on her bike for 15 minutes every day.”

Personal responsibility

“Learning that actions have consequences and you have to take responsibility for those actions is important. Didn’t put your football kit in the washing basket in time? You can’t go to football.”

Resilience

“Resilience – and how to handle failure – is so important. We do our children a disservice if they are not allowed to fail and then try again, to explore new ways to achieve their goals.”

Premier League Primary Stars

Premier League Primary Stars uses the appeal of the Premier League and professional football clubs to inspire children to learn, be active and develop important life skills.

Aimed at primary school pupils aged 5-11, the curriculum-linked education programme looks to inspire girls and boys in the classroom, the playground and on the sports field and is available to every primary school in England and Wales. The Primary Stars website offers a range of resources specially designed to use sport to connect pupils’ learning to the world around them, including information packs, classroom assets, videos and planning tools, in English, maths, PE and PSHE.

Premier League Primary Stars also offers free activities for parents and children to use at home – including an interactive online game called Solve, Shoot, Score featuring Premier League players in a series of maths and English challenges.

Win

One lucky Mumsnetter will win a John Lewis voucher worth £300 as well as a Premier League Primary Stars Book Box which contains 15 titles from different authors, including Dan Freedman, Cressida Cowell and Jacqueline Wilson – a great addition to your child’s classroom as they head into the summer term.

Nine runners-up will also receive a Premier League Primary Stars Book Box.